Ski Goggles Buying Advice

Heading out onto the freshly powdered hill with a good pair of goggles is the essential mountain accessory (we'll assume you have your skis sorted at this point!). Goggles offer protection from things you can see and feel like snow, wind and cold air, as well as things you can't including potentially strong ultra violet (UV) light. It's important to protect your eyes so you can hit the slopes as many times as you want without worry. If you need further advice or are unsure of any of the jargon below, remember we are always available to answer your queries and help you get kitted out for the hill.

This guide is split into several sections to help you understand all the elements that go into ski goggles, so be sure to familiarise yourself with them to help choose the perfect goggles for you.

LENS

Our goggles come in two shapes of lens - cylindrical or spherical - offering a different approach to reducing glare, eye fatigue and enhancing contrast and depth perception.

• Cylindrical Lenses curve around the face from left to right, the more traditional look for a lens. These can be found in our lower price point models such as the Switch and Nitro kids goggles.
• Spherical Lenses curve around the face from left to right and also from top to bottom, creating a bubble style or look. These lenses enhance peripheral vision in comparison to a flatter lens. Spherical lenses, which can be found on our Summit and Method models, offer less glare and distortion.

All our ski goggle lenses are double (dual) layered. This is the same principle as double glazed windows, made from two sheets of plastic with a sealed gap which creates a barrier between the warm air from your face and the cold out from outside. This is especially important as it helps prevent the lens from fogging up.

All our ski goggles offer 100% UV A/B/C protection. It is important that the eyes are protected from harmful UV rays when skiing or snowboarding as UV intensity is increased with altitiude.

LENS COLOUR / TINT

Why have different colour lenses? Each colour is designed to filter light differently with performance based on the type of conditions you'll be out in. Some lenses cover variable weather scenarios from sunny to cloudy, whilst others are more specific and really only suitable for very sunny days or alternatively darker, cloudy days. Lenses are distinguished by the amount of light that is allowed to pass through, this is known as Variable Light Transmission (VLT). This is an industry wide rating and is shown as a percentage figure according to the amount of light allowed through the lens.

Our ski goggle lenses can be split into easy to distinguish categories based on their VLT. Each category is suited for a different type of weather condition, so you know which lenses will perform on bright, clear sunny days and which will offer the best visibility when it is overcast or cloudy.

• Very Bright / Sunny Conditions The lower the VLT figure, the more the lens is suitable for bright sunny days. Our lenses in this category tend to be darker colours, such as greys, blues or greens, where the VLT can vary from 5% to 25%
• Variable Conditions (Partly Sunny / Partly Cloudy) Lenses in the middle of the spectrum offer reliable performance in these conditions, from sun to cloud. Ideal for days where the light varies throughout the day. Our lenses in this category range from 30% to 55% VLT rating.
• Cloudy / Low Light Conditions The higher the % of VLT, the more suited the lens to low light, flat light, or even snowy and foggy conditions. Our lenses in this category have VLT ratings from 60% and above.

With mountain weather sometimes unpredictable, it's worth considering an alternative backup option of lens to ensure you can ride with unrestricted clarity.

FRAME

Your goggles need to provide comfort, stop the elements attacking your face and keep your lens in place. You'll wear your goggles all day long, so comfort is a very important factor. When choosing your next goggles, consider the following:

• Size Our goggles are one size (ie, we do not offer the same style in multiple sizes) and are designed to fit the majority of faces out of the box. We do offer some styles which are more suited to oversize fit as well as womens and childrens tailored fits, these are usually with less volume in the nose bridge and a proportionally smaller size overall.
• Helmet Compatible All our goggles are helmet compatible which allows you to position your strap on the outside of the helmet.
• Face Foam All our goggles come with triple layer face foam cushioing. This plush, soft foam forms a close seal to the face meaning no gaps.
• Strap All our goggles feature easily adjustable straps, elasticated with slider adjusters. On the inside of the strap is our anti-slip grip silicone layer which reduces slippage and increases grip either with or without a helmet.

SKI GOGGLE COMPARISON

Take a look at this chart to see how our models of ski goggles stack up, comparing the key features between each of the models to help you refine your choice. Remember, if you need further advice in order to choose your new goggles we are always available to answer your queries and help you get kitted out for the hill.